Bombing of Pisa in World War II - Revision history

AlexPopp6687: expanded layout per sources and improved wording

2026-01-08T23:55:36Z

expanded layout per sources and improved wording

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:25, 9 January 2026
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			{{short description\|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
	{{Infobox military conflict		{{Infobox military conflict
	\| conflict = Bombing of Pisa		\| conflict = Bombing of Pisa
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	\| status =		\| status =
	\| combatant1 = {{flag\|United States\|1912}} {{nowrap\|[[United States Army Air Forces\|USAAF]]}}		\| combatant1 = {{flag\|United States\|1912}} {{nowrap\|[[United States Army Air Forces\|USAAF]]}}
	\| combatant2 = {{flag\|~~Kingdom of~~ Italy}}		\| combatant2 = {{flag\|Fascist Italy}}
	\| combatant3 =		\| combatant3 =
	\| commander1 =		\| commander1 =
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	At 13:01, the first bombers started dropping their bombs over the Porta a Mare [[power station]]. 367 bombs were dropped on the [[Saint-Gobain]] factory, killing 56 workers while they were at lunch. Italian [[Cannone da 90/53\|90 mm]] and German [[8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41\|88 mm]] anti-aircraft guns opened fire, and [[Macchi C.200]] fighter planes took off from the nearby [[Arena Metato]] airfield, but were unable to seriously interfere with the raid; only four of the 152 B-17s and B-24s were shot down.<ref>[http://www.pisa24.info/memoria-tragico-bombardamento-pisa-31-agosto-1943/ Memoria, tragico bombardamento Pisa 31 agosto 1943]</ref>		At 13:01, the first bombers started dropping their bombs over the Porta a Mare [[power station]]. 367 bombs were dropped on the [[Saint-Gobain]] factory, killing 56 workers while they were at lunch. Italian [[Cannone da 90/53\|90 mm]] and German [[8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41\|88 mm]] anti-aircraft guns opened fire, and [[Macchi C.200]] fighter planes took off from the nearby [[Arena Metato]] airfield, but were unable to seriously interfere with the raid; only four of the 152 B-17s and B-24s were shot down.<ref>[http://www.pisa24.info/memoria-tragico-bombardamento-pisa-31-agosto-1943/ Memoria, tragico bombardamento Pisa 31 agosto 1943]</ref>

	The railway station, objective of the raid, was hit and badly damaged; at the same time, however, the entire part of Pisa located south of the [[Arno]] river suffered heavy damage, with the Porta a Mare district being virtually razed to the ground. 2,500 homes were destroyed or damaged, and several historical buildings were also hit, such as the Palazzo Pretorio and the churches of [[San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno]] and [[Sant'Antonio Abate]]. At least 952 inhabitants of Pisa were killed, according to the official figures; other estimates claim that the death toll was higher, up to 2,500 victims.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202213215/http://rcslibri.corriere.it/bombardatelitalia/bombardate1943.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1943]</ref><ref>Marco Gioannini, Giulio Massobrio, ''Bombardate l’Italia. Storia della guerra di distruzione aerea 1940-1945'', pp. 364-365-366.</ref><ref>[http://www.pisa24.info/memoria-tragico-bombardamento-pisa-31-agosto-1943/ Memoria, tragico bombardamento Pisa 31 agosto 1943]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160326161204/http://cultura.comune.pisa.it/?p=7144 Pane e bombe. Pisa bombardata, Pisa liberata]</ref>		The railway station, the objective of the raid, was hit and badly damaged; at the same time, however, the entire part of Pisa located south of the [[Arno]] river suffered heavy damage, with the Porta a Mare district being virtually razed to the ground. 2,500 homes were destroyed or damaged, and several historical buildings were also hit, such as the Palazzo Pretorio and the churches of [[San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno]] and [[Sant'Antonio Abate]]. At least 952 inhabitants of Pisa were killed, according to the official figures; other estimates claim that the death toll was higher, up to 2,500 victims.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202213215/http://rcslibri.corriere.it/bombardatelitalia/bombardate1943.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1943]</ref><ref>Marco Gioannini, Giulio Massobrio, ''Bombardate l’Italia. Storia della guerra di distruzione aerea 1940-1945'', pp. 364-365-366.</ref><ref>[http://www.pisa24.info/memoria-tragico-bombardamento-pisa-31-agosto-1943/ Memoria, tragico bombardamento Pisa 31 agosto 1943]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160326161204/http://cultura.comune.pisa.it/?p=7144 Pane e bombe. Pisa bombardata, Pisa liberata]</ref>

	== Further raids ==		== Further raids ==
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	After this attack, Pisa suffered further heavy raids by both the [[USAAF]] and the [[Royal Air Force]] on 23, 24 and 25 September, 4 October and 25 December 1943, and on 18 and 19 January and 14 February 1944.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202213215/http://rcslibri.corriere.it/bombardatelitalia/bombardate1943.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1943]</ref><ref>[http://www.rcslibri.it/bombardate1944.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1944]{{Dead link\|date=July 2020 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> All these raids were aimed at either the airfield or the marshalling yard, but caused further damage and casualties to the city as well. In the summer of 1944 Pisa also suffered heavy [[artillery]] shelling by the advancing Allied forces.		After this attack, Pisa suffered further heavy raids by both the [[USAAF]] and the [[Royal Air Force]] on 23, 24 and 25 September, 4 October and 25 December 1943, and on 18 and 19 January and 14 February 1944.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202213215/http://rcslibri.corriere.it/bombardatelitalia/bombardate1943.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1943]</ref><ref>[http://www.rcslibri.it/bombardate1944.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1944]{{Dead link\|date=July 2020 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> All these raids were aimed at either the airfield or the marshalling yard, but caused further damage and casualties to the city as well. In the summer of 1944 Pisa also suffered heavy [[artillery]] shelling by the advancing Allied forces.

	By the time the Allies liberated Pisa, on 2 September 1944, 48% of all homes in the city had been destroyed; most of the damage was concentrated in the districts south of the Arno, where few buildings had escaped damage.<ref>[http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pisa_res-a4c40623-87e6-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_%28Enciclopedia-Italiana%29/ Enciclopedia Treccani]</ref> Civilian deaths from air raids and shelling were 1,738.<ref>[http://rassegnastampa.unipi.it/rassegna/archivio/2013/08/31SB26054.PDF Rassegna stampa]</ref><ref>[https://www.academia.edu/22061467/I_PIANI_DI_RICOSTRUZIONE_POSTBELLICI I piani di ricostruzione postbellici]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160326161204/http://cultura.comune.pisa.it/?p=7144 Pane e bombe. Pisa bombardata, Pisa liberata]</ref>		By the time the Allies liberated Pisa, on 2 September 1944, 48% of all homes in the city had been destroyed; most of the damage was concentrated in the districts south of the Arno, where few buildings had escaped damage.<ref>[http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pisa_res-a4c40623-87e6-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_%28Enciclopedia-Italiana%29/ Enciclopedia Treccani]</ref> Civilian deaths from air raids and shelling were 1,738.<ref>{{Cite web \|url=http://rassegnastampa.unipi.it/rassegna/archivio/2013/08/31SB26054.PDF \|title=Rassegna stampa \|access-date=2020-02-13 \|archive-date=2020-02-13 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213005356/http://rassegnastampa.unipi.it/rassegna/archivio/2013/08/31SB26054.PDF \|url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[https://www.academia.edu/22061467/I_PIANI_DI_RICOSTRUZIONE_POSTBELLICI I piani di ricostruzione postbellici]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160326161204/http://cultura.comune.pisa.it/?p=7144 Pane e bombe. Pisa bombardata, Pisa liberata]</ref>

	The city's most famous landmarks – the [[Pisa Cathedral\|Cathedral]], the [[Leaning Tower of Pisa\|Leaning Tower]] and the [[Pisa Baptistery\|Baptistery]] – had survived unscathed, ~~but~~ the [[Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa\|Camposanto Monumentale]], after being spared by the air raids, was hit by artillery shelling, with the loss of many of its [[fresco]]es. Many other less famous churches and historic palaces suffered damage, although this was repairable in most cases.<ref>[http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pisa_res-a4c40623-87e6-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_%28Enciclopedia-Italiana%29/ Enciclopedia Treccani]</ref>		The city's most famous landmarks – the [[Pisa Cathedral\|Cathedral]], the [[Leaning Tower of Pisa\|Leaning Tower]] and the [[Pisa Baptistery\|Baptistery]] – had survived unscathed. Still, the [[Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa\|Camposanto Monumentale]], after being spared by the air raids, was hit by artillery shelling, with the loss of many of its [[fresco]]es. Many other less famous churches and historic palaces suffered damage, although this was repairable in most cases.<ref>[http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pisa_res-a4c40623-87e6-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_%28Enciclopedia-Italiana%29/ Enciclopedia Treccani]</ref>

	== Notes ==		== Notes ==
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	{{DEFAULTSORT:War, Bombing Of Pisa In World, Ii}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:War, Bombing Of Pisa In World, Ii}}
	[[Category:~~World War II~~ operations ~~and battles~~ of the Italian ~~Campaign~~]]		[[Category:Battles and operations of the Italian campaign (World War II)]]
	[[Category:1943 in Italy]]		[[Category:1943 in Italy]]
	[[Category:~~Italy in World War II~~]]		[[Category:Military history of Pisa]]
	[[Category:World War II strategic bombing]]		[[Category:World War II strategic bombing by populated place\|Pisa]]
	~~[[Category:Aerial operations and battles of World War II~~ by ~~town or city~~\|Pisa]]
	[[Category:Italy–United States military relations]]		[[Category:Italy–United States military relations]]

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{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Bombing of Pisa
| partof = [[Strategic bombing during World War II]]
| image = Pisa Stazione1943.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = The [[Pisa Centrale railway station]], main target of the attack, after the raid
| date = 31 August 1943
| place = [[Pisa]], [[Tuscany]], [[Italy]]
| coordinates =
| map_type =
| latitude =
| longitude =
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| territory =
| result =
*Target hit; extensive destruction and civilian casualties
| status =
| combatant1 = {{flag|United States|1912}} {{nowrap|[[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]]}}
| combatant2 = {{flag|Kingdom of Italy}}
| combatant3 =
| commander1 =
| commander2 =
| commander3 =
| strength1 =
| strength2 =
| strength3 =
| casualties1 = 4 bombers
| casualties2 = 952 civilians
| casualties3 =
| notes =
}}

The [[bombing]] of [[Pisa]] took place on 31 August 1943, during [[World War II]]. Aimed at disabling the city's marshalling yard, it also resulted in heavy damage to the city itself (although its most famous [[landmark]]s were left untouched) and civilian casualties.

== History ==

The [[Pisa Centrale railway station]] was considered by the Allies to be of strategic importance for railway communications in central Italy, as it was the intersection point between the [[Turin]]-[[Genoa]]-[[Rome]]-[[Naples]] railway line and the [[Leopolda railway|Livorno-Florence railway line]]; this led to several Allied air raids aimed at its destruction. Additionally, the district of Porta a Mare housed several factories engaged in war production, and the nearby [[Pisa International Airport|San Giusto]] airfield was a base for the [[Regia Aeronautica]].

The first and heaviest raid took place on 31 August 1943, when 152 [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]] and [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]] of the [[United States Army Air Force]], having taken off from airfields in [[Tunisia]], dropped 408 tons of bombs on the Porta a Mare district, where the railway station was located. This raid was also part of the intensified Allied bombing campaign over Italy after the [[Fall of the Fascist regime in Italy|fall of Benito Mussolini]] on 25 July 1943, aimed at pushing the new [[Badoglio I Cabinet|Badoglio government]] to surrender. The raid began at 13:01, during lunchtime, and lasted seven minutes. The air raid sirens had been sounded at noon, but owing to a number of false alarms during the previous months, a large part of the population did not go to [[air raid shelter]]s, believing this to be yet another false alarm; this contributed to the high death toll.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202213215/http://rcslibri.corriere.it/bombardatelitalia/bombardate1943.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1943]</ref><ref>Marco Gioannini, Giulio Massobrio, ''Bombardate l’Italia. Storia della guerra di distruzione aerea 1940-1945'', pp. 364-365-366.</ref><ref>[http://www.pisa24.info/memoria-tragico-bombardamento-pisa-31-agosto-1943/ Memoria, tragico bombardamento Pisa 31 agosto 1943]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160326161204/http://cultura.comune.pisa.it/?p=7144 Pane e bombe. Pisa bombardata, Pisa liberata]</ref>

At 13:01, the first bombers started dropping their bombs over the Porta a Mare [[power station]]. 367 bombs were dropped on the [[Saint-Gobain]] factory, killing 56 workers while they were at lunch. Italian [[Cannone da 90/53|90 mm]] and German [[8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41|88 mm]] anti-aircraft guns opened fire, and [[Macchi C.200]] fighter planes took off from the nearby [[Arena Metato]] airfield, but were unable to seriously interfere with the raid; only four of the 152 B-17s and B-24s were shot down.<ref>[http://www.pisa24.info/memoria-tragico-bombardamento-pisa-31-agosto-1943/ Memoria, tragico bombardamento Pisa 31 agosto 1943]</ref>

The railway station, objective of the raid, was hit and badly damaged; at the same time, however, the entire part of Pisa located south of the [[Arno]] river suffered heavy damage, with the Porta a Mare district being virtually razed to the ground. 2,500 homes were destroyed or damaged, and several historical buildings were also hit, such as the Palazzo Pretorio and the churches of [[San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno]] and [[Sant'Antonio Abate]]. At least 952 inhabitants of Pisa were killed, according to the official figures; other estimates claim that the death toll was higher, up to 2,500 victims.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202213215/http://rcslibri.corriere.it/bombardatelitalia/bombardate1943.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1943]</ref><ref>Marco Gioannini, Giulio Massobrio, ''Bombardate l’Italia. Storia della guerra di distruzione aerea 1940-1945'', pp. 364-365-366.</ref><ref>[http://www.pisa24.info/memoria-tragico-bombardamento-pisa-31-agosto-1943/ Memoria, tragico bombardamento Pisa 31 agosto 1943]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160326161204/http://cultura.comune.pisa.it/?p=7144 Pane e bombe. Pisa bombardata, Pisa liberata]</ref>

== Further raids ==

After this attack, Pisa suffered further heavy raids by both the [[USAAF]] and the [[Royal Air Force]] on 23, 24 and 25 September, 4 October and 25 December 1943, and on 18 and 19 January and 14 February 1944.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202213215/http://rcslibri.corriere.it/bombardatelitalia/bombardate1943.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1943]</ref><ref>[http://www.rcslibri.it/bombardate1944.pdf Bombardate l’Italia. 1944]{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> All these raids were aimed at either the airfield or the marshalling yard, but caused further damage and casualties to the city as well. In the summer of 1944 Pisa also suffered heavy [[artillery]] shelling by the advancing Allied forces.

By the time the Allies liberated Pisa, on 2 September 1944, 48% of all homes in the city had been destroyed; most of the damage was concentrated in the districts south of the Arno, where few buildings had escaped damage.<ref>[http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pisa_res-a4c40623-87e6-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_%28Enciclopedia-Italiana%29/ Enciclopedia Treccani]</ref> Civilian deaths from air raids and shelling were 1,738.<ref>[http://rassegnastampa.unipi.it/rassegna/archivio/2013/08/31SB26054.PDF Rassegna stampa]</ref><ref>[https://www.academia.edu/22061467/I_PIANI_DI_RICOSTRUZIONE_POSTBELLICI I piani di ricostruzione postbellici]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160326161204/http://cultura.comune.pisa.it/?p=7144 Pane e bombe. Pisa bombardata, Pisa liberata]</ref>

The city's most famous landmarks – the [[Pisa Cathedral|Cathedral]], the [[Leaning Tower of Pisa|Leaning Tower]] and the [[Pisa Baptistery|Baptistery]] – had survived unscathed, but the [[Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa|Camposanto Monumentale]], after being spared by the air raids, was hit by artillery shelling, with the loss of many of its [[fresco]]es. Many other less famous churches and historic palaces suffered damage, although this was repairable in most cases.<ref>[http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pisa_res-a4c40623-87e6-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_%28Enciclopedia-Italiana%29/ Enciclopedia Treccani]</ref>

== Notes ==
<references/>

== Bibliography ==

* Paolo Gianfaldoni, ''Pisa dal bombardamento del 1943 sino ai giorni nostri'', Felici, 1993
* Elena Ferrara, Enrico Stampacchia, ''Il bombardamento di Pisa del 31 agosto 1943. Dalle testimonianze alla memoria storica'', Tagete, 2004
* Marco Gioannini, Giulio Massobrio, ''Bombardate l’Italia. Storia della guerra di distruzione aerea 1940-1945'', Rizzoli, 2007

{{WWII city bombing}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:War, Bombing Of Pisa In World, Ii}}
[[Category:World War II operations and battles of the Italian Campaign]]
[[Category:1943 in Italy]]
[[Category:Italy in World War II]]
[[Category:World War II strategic bombing]]
[[Category:Aerial operations and battles of World War II by town or city|Pisa]]
[[Category:Italy–United States military relations]]